Founded in 1949 in the heart of San Diego, USD has grown to become a premier institution dedicated to providing academic excellence, Catholic intellectual and social traditions, and a top-notch liberal arts education for scholars of all faiths. USD is committed to the intellectual, spiritual, and overall development of its student body.

USD’s mission captures the values that have made it a prominent Catholic university, a vibrant institution of quality higher education, and an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus.

A USD education combines the vibrancy of the liberal arts with academic rigor in a supportive learning community. USD offers a wide variety of majors and specializations, allowing students to pursue their passions. Faculty members are distinguished scholars and devoted teachers who promote an interactive learning environment.

Faculty collaborate one-on-one with undergraduate and graduate students on research, scholarship and creative activity, allowing students to experience the excitement of original discovery.

USD’s emphasis on academic excellence, intellectual rigor and global citizenship showcases our commitment to each student. USD offers the intellectual environment that will inspire you to begin shaping your future. By becoming a Torero, you are becoming part of the more than 60-year-long history of dedicated Changemakers.

Our students strive for academic excellence and take great pride in serving their communities. At USD, students learn to think critically, act globally and work collaboratively to achieve their full potential.

USD offers students endless opportunities to connect with the campus, the community, and each other. With nearly 200 clubs and organizations, countless sports and residence hall activities, guest lectures, community service opportunities and wellness programs, Toreros have every resource necessary to maximize their USD experience.

USD has an active, thriving campus community. In addition to its sublime setting — enhanced by an average 300 days of sunshine each year — USD offers students an abundance of academic programs, facilities and resources.

Even to the casual eye, it's apparent that the campus runs like a well-oiled machine, in large part due to our hard working team members, all dedicated to making sure that the USD student experience is reflective of the distinctive quality that the university is known for.

More than 1500 full-time and 750 part-time employees worked at USD in 2011, in capacities ranging from faculty to food service to administration to groundskeeper.

The USD community is comprised of many diverse individuals. To assist with the various aspects of personal and professional development, the university provides various offices, programs and services. Gateways provides links to some of the areas that might be of interest to you.

From the moment you step on our beautiful campus you can see that USD is exceptional.

Diana Neebe ’08 has won the Outstanding Young Educator award presented by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). The annual awards recognize individuals who are transforming learning, teaching and leading in the digital age.

The Outstanding Young Educator award is presented each year to an educator under the age of 35 who demonstrates vision, innovation, action, and transformation using technology to improve learning and teaching. ISTE's Outstanding Young Educator has made an impact on the educational community, actively shares ideas, and uses his or her professional learning network to improve his or her professional work.

"We are so pleased to see Diana honored with this award. This recognition is an outstanding representation of the exceptional work of USD alums and early career educators,” said Heather Lattimer, EdD, chair of SOLES’ Department of Learning and Teaching.

Neebe, who earned her master’s in curriculum and instruction and English teaching credential from SOLES, is an English teacher and instructional technology peer coach at Sacred Heart Preparatory School, an independent high school in the Silicon Valley. She has been actively involved in the school’s 1:1 iPad implementation and helped design the school's professional development program for technology integration. As part of her nomination package for the award, she created a video demonstrating her use of technology in the classroom.

“Diana's students and colleagues are so fortunate to have her as a part of their school community. Her use of technology to enhance, extend, and transform learning in the classroom is trailblazing,” Lattimer said.

Recognized for having made an impact on the educational community, Neebe actively shares her ideas and successfully utilizes her professional learning network.

“I'm so honored to receive this award, especially knowing how many exceptional educators I connect with on a daily basis through my professional network. Of course, I owe a big thanks to the professors at SOLES who trained me to stay focused on student engagement and real world literacy, and who encouraged me to innovate with and for my students,” Neebe said.

The annual ISTE awards recognize exceptional educators and leaders who are paving the way for connected learning. We seek those whose exemplary work provides a model for teaching, learning and leading in the digital age. All of the annual ISTE award winners will be honored at ISTE 2014 to be held June 28-July 1 at the Georgia World Conference Center in Atlanta. All of this year’s honorees will receive complimentary registration to ISTE 2014 as well as a one-year standard ISTE membership, in addition to various other prizes.

“A school district leveraging the power of 1:1 learning, a superintendent who has dedicated his career to advancing student achievement, a champion for technology-embedded learning – these are among the 2014 ISTE award winners. All of this year’s honorees exemplify the incredible ways that leaders around the world are transforming learning and teaching,” said Brian Lewis, ISTE CEO. “We look forward to congratulating them on their achievements at ISTE 2014 in Atlanta.”